7 Rules For How To Heal Ear Piercings Perfectly

So you've taken the plunge and got your ears pierced—congratulations! But with great piercings come great responsibility, and getting a new piercing isn't just as simple as walking out of the store with fresh bling acting all fancy and sh*t. We always tell our clients that getting pierced is nothing compared to the uphill battle that is *healing*! Even though it's totally worth the ride, you may regret your life choices along the way.

However, with great aftercare, you can make the healing process SO MUCH EASIER! Aftercare is key to keeping your piercings looking good and avoiding any nasty infections or other complications. Here are the 7 rules on how to properly care for your new ear piercings:

1. First and foremost, make sure you get pierced with implant-grade titanium (ASTM F136 compliant) or solid 14k or 18k gold - any other jewelry can create problems down the line - don't be afraid to ask your piercer BEFORE they stab you! Also, make sure that anything other than a daith, rook, anti-tragus, and snug are PIERCED WITH A STRAIGHT BARBELL that's at least 8mm in length! No, my friend, you cannot have a hoop in your helix or conch until it heals. Trust me. Find our selection of 14k gold and titanium piercing jewelry here.

2. Cleanliness is next to godliness — wash your hands before touching your piercing! This includes when you're cleaning them or switching out jewelry – make sure you clean both the old and new jewelry with a mild soap and warm water.

3. Don't twist your piercings - that can cause irritation or infection. Instead, just leave them the F alone!

4. Only use sterile saline solution to clean your piercings - you don't need to use rubbing alcohol or any other harsh cleaners - saline solution keeps the bad bacteria at bay while allowing the good bacteria to WERK B*TCH! NeilMed piercing aftercare is THE best!

5. Don't play around with your piercings! This means no picking, prodding, stretching or twisting your piercings - don't.do.it.

6. Keep your earrings dry—that means avoiding swimming pools, hot tubs and any other body of water you might find yourself in. And avoid steam rooms or saunas all together until your piercing has healed completely.

7. Get your piercings downsized - this means shortening the length of the barbell within 2-4 months of the initial piercing so that it's more flush to the skin and less likely to shift around causing migration (a wicked angle) or piercing bumps (those pesky turds!) But never fear, if you do get piercing bumps you may choose to do saline soaks or use Dr. Piercing aftercare on particularly stubborn areas. 

If you follow these tips, you'll have happy, healthy piercings! Just remember to be gentle with your piercings and they'll reward you with years of slayage.

Congratulations once again on joining the piercing posse and best of luck with your new piercings!